A bearing arrangement mounted on a shaft may include an angular contact bearing or a roller bearing. Further, more than one bearing may be mounted on the shaft. For example, on an intermediate shaft of a wind turbine, the roller bearing may be placed on an upwind side followed by the angular contact bearing downwind from the roller bearing. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a shaft 102 with the roller bearing 104 and the angular contact bearing 106. A person of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there are many known bearing arrangements. Generally, each known bearing arrangement has an inner race attached to the shaft 102, a rolling element, and an outer race.
The roller bearing 104 may include a roller bearing inner race 108, a roller 110, and a roller bearing outer race 112. The roller bearing inner race 108 may be of a unitary and cylindrical form. The roller 110 fits over the roller bearing inner race 108. The roller bearing outer race 112 may be unitary and cylindrical. The roller bearing outer race 112 may include a track 114 for receiving the roller 110 and holding the roller 110 in place.
The angular contact bearing 106 may be separated from the roller bearing 104 by a spacer ring 116. The angular contact bearing 106 may include a first angular contact inner race 118 and a second angular contact inner race 120, a row of ball bearings 122, and an angular contact outer race 124. The first angular contact inner race 118 may be cylindrical with a first hemi-spherical track 126 to receive the row of ball bearings 122. The second angular contact inner race 120 may be cylindrical with a second hemi-spherical track 128 to receive the row of ball bearings 122. The first and the second angular contact inner races 118, 120 may be placed on the shaft 102 with the first and the second hemi-spherical tracks 126, 128 facing each other for receiving the row of ball bearings 122 thereby holding the row of ball bearings 122. The angular contact outer race 124 may be cylindrical with a hemi-spherical track 130 to receive the row of ball bearings 122 and hold the row of ball bearings 122 in place. A locking pin 132 may be included for preventing the angular contact outer race 124 from spinning within the housing. A plurality of lock nuts 134 may hold the first and second angular contact inner races 118, 120, the spacer ring 116 and the roller bearing inner race 108 in place in the axial direction. A shaft cover 136 may enclose the end of the shaft 102.
The installation of the roller bearing inner race 108 and the first and the second angular contact inner races 118, 120 may be interference fits to the shaft 102. In order to install them, each of the roller bearing inner race 108 and the first and the second angular contact inner races 118, 120 has to be heated to an appropriate temperature such that it grows in diameter just enough to safely install it onto the shaft 102 at its appropriate place. When allowed to cool, the roller bearing inner race 108 and the first and the second angular contact inner races 118, 120 do become adhered to the shaft 102 with a considerable holding force. In order to repair or service the angular contact bearing 106, the roller bearing 104, the shaft 102, or any other components of a machine connected to the shaft 102, it may be necessary to remove the roller bearing inner race 108 and the first and the second angular contact inner races 118, 120. Currently, removing the roller bearing inner race 108 or the first or second angular contact races 118, 120 typically employs the application of an acetylene torch to heat and expand these components. This, of course, requires a great deal of skill and includes significant attendant risks, such as fire and explosion.